Clip tool



A. E. OHGREN May 19, 1964 CLIP TOOL INVEN TOR.

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2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 20, 1962 May 19, 1964 Filed Aug. 20, 1962 A.E.OHGREN CLIP TOOL INVENTOR. (b ne @640 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

United States Patent 3,133,288 CLIP TOOL Arne'E. Ohgren, Morton Grove, Ill., assignor to Signode Steel Strapping Company, a corporation of Delaware Filed Aug. 20, 1962, Ser. No. 218,028 8 Claims. (Cl. 1-187) This invention relates to a tool for crimping a clip about two adjacent members and, more particularly, to a tool which applies and crimps a clip or seal blank completely around overlapping or adjacent wires or other ligatures to thereby seal or securely fasten the wires or ligatures together.

A device of this general type is described in a copending application entitled Crimping Tool, Serial No. 42,268, filed July 12, 1960, in the names of Harrison C. Lingle and Arne E. Ohgren, now Patent No. 3,068,485, issued December 18, 1962, and assigned to the assignee of the present invention.

These devices are used to seal overlapped ends of strapping or tying wire by means of a crimped clip. An example of such a use is to secure coil springs of an automobile car seat to each other and to the wire frame thereof.

The principles of the present invention have general applicability, but for convenience and simplicity will be described in conjunction with a tool used for clipping adjacent wire members together. The tool described herein is similar in many respects to the one described in detail in the copending application referred to above, but differs in that it provides a unique and positive guiding cam and follower arrangement wherein the clip when crimped is disposed completely around the overlapped wires. This is an improvement over prior known tools of this type which crimped the clip about the overlapped wires only to the extent of wrapping each end of the clip from one side over to the opposite side. When the clip is completely wrapped around the wire, a more eflicient joint is provided to prevent the wires from slipping relative to each other and the clip-from coming loose.

A crimping tool embodying the present invention may be employed with manual, as well as with power operated devices. Also, while the invention is illustrated and described in conjunction with a power operated clip applying tool, this is merely illustrative, since the tool could be adapted to handle a seal or other equivalent fastening member of this general type, and the term clip as used hereinafter is intended to be and is used as a generic term for such members.

The machine illustrated herein is. a pneumatically operated tool having a trigger operated control valve for a pneumatic piston which moves a ram head. The ram head is operatively connected to and forms a part of a coupling mechanism for transmitting power to a series of links connected to the crimping jaws. The coupling mechanism also transmits power to and operates a clip feeding mechanism which is cooperatively arranged with the clip magazine to move a clip into place between the crimping jaws. The operation of the magazine is tied in with the movement of the ram so that when the tool is positioned over the overlapping portions of the members to be secured together, a clip has already been placed between the jaws and further movement of the jaws bends and crimps the clip about the overlapped wires.

The details of the magazine and its operative connection with the ram and power operated means are not important to an understanding of the present invention. This portion of the tool is fully described in the aforementioned copending application.

Numerous other features and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the accompanying drawings in which there is illustrated an embodiment of this invention, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of an embodiment of this invention, with parts thereof broken away, to illustrate more clearly various parts of the tool;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmental top plan view of the tool;

FIGURE 3 is a partial side view of the device showing the jaws in position to receive a clip;

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 3 showing the position of the jaws when crimping a clip over the overlapped wire portions; blFISURE 5 is a perspective view of an uncrimped clip FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of a crimped clip about two overlapping portions of adjacent wire members; and

FIGURE 7 is an end view of the assembly shown in FIGURE 6.

Referring now to FIGURE 1, there is illustrated a tool having a pistol configuration. Broadly, it consists of a handle 1; a pneumatic piston and cylinder 2; a crimper and drive coupler mechanism 3; and a magazine 4, only a portion of which is shown in FIGURE 2, for the clip blanks.

The handle 1 has an air supply passage 7 with a threaded orifice to receive an air supply hose. The air supply passage leads to a trigger valve mechanism 8 located within a longitudinal bore 9 in the handle 1.

The trigger valve mechanism has a tubular valve housing body 10 fitted into the longitudinal bore 9. Located within the valve body is a plunger type valve member 11 which is operable by a cup shaped finger piece 12 that is connected to the outer end of the valve member by a pin 13.

The plunger 11 consists of a first valve head 14 and a second valve head 16. The valve plunger is normally retained in the position shown in FIGURE 1 by a spring 17 which extends between the valve body 10 and the valve head 14, so that the spring 17 normally biases the valve member in a forward or outward direction.

The tubular valve body 10 is formed with three radial openings 20, 21 and 22, whichextend through the wall of the valve body and are so positioned that they communicate with various air passages in the handle and the piston cylinder assembly 2. The valve opening 20 communicates with the air supply passage 7; opening 22 communicates with return stroke passage 23 in the cylinder body 5; and opening 21 is in communication with the drive or power stroke passage 24 in the cylinder body 5. i A clearance space behind tubular body 10 eifects communication of passageway 24 with .an air vent passage 26 contained in handle 1 for exhausting the head end of the cylinder. The rod end of the cylinder is exhausted by communication between the passage 23 and clearance about the trigger button 12 when the trigger is moved to operate the tool. I The trigger valve mechanism 8 described above permits controlled double stroke operation of the piston cylinder assembly 2. This power mechanism includes a piston 30 secured to a piston rod 31. The piston 30 has a thick disc shape, and in its periphery it has an annular groove 32 in which there is disposed a piston seal ring 33. The piston is, of course disposed to move axially of the cylinder cavity in the cylinder body 5 which is sealed at its rearward end by an integral dome shaped head, and at its rod end by a cover plate 34 which is suitably secured to the cylinder body 5. 1

The position of piston 30, as shown in FIGURE 1, is its normal starting position. When the mechanism is 3 connected to an air pressure supply, the pneumatic pressure entering through passage 7 passes through valve openings and '22 and passage 23 into the rod end of the cylinder to fonce the piston toward the head end of the cylinder (toward the right in FIGURE 1).

Turning now to the crimping and coupling portion of the tool, it is seen in FIGURES 1 and 2 that the device includes a pair of substantially rectangular, longitudinally extending parallel side plates 40, 41. These side plates are fastened at their rear ends to lugs 42 and 43 on cyl inder cover plate 34 by bolts 44 and 45, respectively. The front end portions of the side plates are held in parallel relationship by spacers 47 and bolts 48.

A block shaped ram 50, through which power is transmitted from the piston to the crimping and coupling mechanism is secured to the exposed end of the piston rod 81 for reciprocation therewith. Connected to the ram 50 is a rear leg 51 of the main link 52. The forward leg 53 of the main link 52 is afiixed by a pivot pin 54 to two pairs of links 56, 57 and 58, 59 disposed on opposite sides, respectively, of leg 53. The pivot pin 54 is guided in a longitudinal extending slot in the side plate 41.

The forward ends of these links are connected, in pairs, to the rearward ends of a pair of crimping jaw links 61, '62 by pivot pins 63 and 64, respectively. The forward ends of the jaw links are formed with jaws 61a, 62a to receive the clips and crimp them about the overlapped Wires. I aw 61a is shaped to engage and crimp the single leg 90a of clip 90 and jaw 62a is designed to engage legs 90b and 90c of clip 90 over the overlapped wire members (see FIGURE 5).

Located between the side plates 40, 41 and slidably guided relative thereto is a jaw pivot block 66 that reciprocates within the forward end portions of the side plates 40, 41. The jaw links 61, 62 are pivoted to block 66 by jaw pins 67, 68, respectively. The block 66 is formed at its forward end with a cradle portion 66a for receiving a clip from the magazine 4.

The links 57, 58 and 56, 59 are pivotally connected with jaws 61 and 62, respectively, by pivot pins 63, 64 at a point to the rear and outwardly from the pivot point of each jaw with the pivot block. The ends of the pivot pins 63, 64 extend into angular cam slots formed in the side plates 40 and 41 and act as cam followers for controlled operation of the crimping jaws. Specifically, extensions 70, 71 of pin 63 extend into cam slot 75 in plate 40 and a similarly shaped cam slot 76 in plate 4-1, respectively. Similarly, an extension 80 of pin 64 extends into cam slot 77 in plate 41, and an extension from the opposite end of pin 64 (not shown) extends into a similarly shaped cam slot in side plate 40. The slots in each plate are identical in shape but extend away from each other toward the edge of their respective plate.

The shape of these cam slots determines the action of the crimping jaws during the crimping operation. The movement of the jaws permitted by the slots results in the clip being disposed completely around the overlapped wires, which method of operation forms an important a part of the present invention. The cam follwer and slot construction results in the jaws being moved toward and away from each other at the same rate.

The slots are essentially J-shaped, and since they are identical, only one will be described. Referring to slot 75, it consists of short inwardly extending leg 75a, a straight section 75b, an outwardly extending section 75c, and a short straight rearwardly extending section 75d. During the initial movement of the ram, the pins 63, 64 move outwardly in the short leg sections to move the jaws 61a, 62a toward each other a slight amount to grip more tightly the clip disposed therebetweenby the magazine assembly. Further movement of the ram 50 moves the pins in the straight portions of the cam slots to move the jaws forwardly while holding them in the open position.

As the pins reach the elbow portions of the slots, they are cammed outwardly, which causes jaws 61 and 62 to pivot about the pivot pins 67, 6%, respectively, to move the ends of the clip 90 held within the crimping jaws from one side to the other side. During this phase of the crimping operation, the pivot block 66 remains in a fixed position. In order to completely wrap the ends of clip 90 about the overlapped Wires, as shown in FIGURE 6, the pins, crimping jaws, and pivot block are moved rearwardly to the position shown in FIGURE 4, which is permitted by the outer short straight sections of the slot. This latter action is effected by providing each of the plates 40, 41 with upper and lower pins 85, 86 and 87, 88, respectively. These pins are located forwardly and inwardly of the rearwardly extending straight sections of the slots and are adapted to be engaged by the links 56, 57, 58, 59 after they have moved the pins 63, 64 and cam jaws 61, 62 to their forwardmost position. Further forward movement of the ram 50 and links 56-59 results in the links being fulcrumed about the pins -88, respectively, to move the pins in the cam slots rearwardly into the position shown in FIGURE 4 against the spring loaded Vlier pins-'91 secured to the inside of plates 40, 41 (see FIGURE 1). This movement of the cam pins withdraws the cam jaws to complete the wrapping action of the ends of the clip about the overlapped wires into the position shown in FIGURE 6. During this action, the pivot block 66 is moved away from the clip, which is now in clamping engagement with the overlapped wires.

If desired, the cam slot could be varied to provide for faster closure or greater crimping force while still enabling the device to function to completely wrap the clip about the wires.

The front end of the side plates 40, 41 contains a wire receiving portion 40a, 41a, respectively, which is positioned by the operator to receive the juxtaposed portions of the wire prior to the initiating of the clip applying and crimping stroke. In operation, the crimping jaws move to the front of the side plates and around the wires to crimp a clip blank around the juxtaposed wire portions.

There is also connected to the ram 50 a mechanism that functions to eject a clip from the magazine to the crimping jaws. The mechanism for bringing about this interaction between the ram and the ejector for ejecting a clip from the magazine forms no part of this invention and is completely described in the copending application.

On the return stroke of the piston, the cycle of move ment of the jaws and links is reversed so that the jaws are first opened to a position free from the members on which the clip was crimped, and then move rearwardly to their normal rest position. The Vlier pins 91 function to momentarily retain the pins 63, 64 in the cam slots in the plates 40, 41, until the jaws are moved away from the clip to prevent the jaws from inadvertently unwrapping the clip.

Method of Operation To use the tool, the magazine is loaded with clips and the male end of a pneumatic supply conduit is threadably secured to the air passage leading to the inlet passage 7.

The juxtaposed portions of the wires to be crimped together are then placed in the wire receiving portions of the side plates. With a clip in place between the jaws, the operator presses the trigger 12 to admit air to the head end of the cylinder through passage 7, openings 20 and 21, and passage 24 to first move piston 30, piston rod 31, and ram 50 to actuate the ejector of the magazine through a suitable lost-motion connection between the ram and ejector to move the ejector away from between the crimping jaws. Continued movement of the ram moves the main link 50, links 56-59, and cam pins 63, 64 in their respective cam slots to first pivot the jaws 61, 62 a small amount to grip the clip more tightly and then move the clip into position about the overlapped wires held by the wire receiving portions of plates 40, 41. The ram continues to move forwardly by the force of the piston 30 and causes the pins 63 and 64 to move outwardly along the inclined portions of the cam slots to pivot the crimpping jaws 61 and 62 toward each other at the same rate. During this movement, the pins pivot the jaws to move each side of the clip 'blanktfrom one side over to the other side of the juxtaposed wires.

' At the end of the stroke of the piston, the links 56-59 engage pins 85-88, respectively, to pivot the outer ends of the links 56-59 away from the front of the tool against the Vlier pins, which action moves the crimping jaws rearwardly to wrap completely the clip about the overlapped wires.

When the trigger is released, air is exhausted from the head of the piston and air from the air supply passage is directed to the rod end of the piston through openings 20, 22 and passage 23. The ram 50 and links 56-59 are pulled rearwardly to open the cam jaws to release the clip and return the jaws to the starting position to receive another clip. Continued rearward movement of the ram actuates the ejector to feed a clip into the crimping jaws to complete the cycle.

It will be appreciated that numerous modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

Although an illustrative embodiment of the invention has been described in considerable detail, it should be understood that the description and the modifications indicated were intended to be merely illustrative and not restrictive.

I claim:

1. A tool for crimping a clip about overlapped wires comprising a pair of parallel side plates, a block slidably supported by one of said side plates, a pair of crimping jaws pivotally mounted on said block and adapted to receive a clip therebetween, each of said plates defining a pair of identical but oppositely extending cam slots, each having an outwardly extending leg, an inclined section, and a horizontal section, pin means connected to said crimping jaws and engaging said slots for controlling the crimping action of said jaws, link means connected to said pin means, abutment means on said plates adjacent said pivot block and engageable by said link means, and power drive means connected to said links for moving said pi-n means in the sections of said cam slots to move, in sequence, the jaws toward each other to grip the clip, pivot the jaws to move the ends of the clip from one side to the other, and then move the links into engagement with said abutment means to retract the block and position the jaws to complete the wrapping of the clip about the overlapped wires.

2. A crimping tool comprising power drive means, clip blank crimping means connected to said power drive means, control means for actuating said power drive means, said crimping means including a pair of side plates, a block reciprocably mounted between said side plates, a pair of crimping jaws pivotally mounted on said block, links connected to said crimping jaws and to said power drive means, pin means secured to said plates and adapted to be engaged by said links, cam means on said side plates and cam followers on said crimping jaws to impart a controlled crimping action to said crimping jaws when said power means is actuated, said cam means being formed sequentially to pivot the jaws toward each other to crimp a clip disposed therebetween about overlapped ligatures and to engage said pin means to move the link means in the opposite direction to retract the crimping jaws to wrap completely the clip about the overlapped ligatures.

3. A tool for crimping a clip about overlapped wires comprising a frame assembly including a pair of parallel side plates, a block movably supported by at least one of said side plates, a pair of crimping jaws pivotally mounted on said block, cam slots defined by said plates for controlling the movement of said jaws, cam follower means secured to each of said crimping jaws and extending into the cam slots, means for pivoting said crimping jaws relative to said block and for reciprocating the jaws relative to said side plates, and means on said frame disposed adjacent said block and engageable by said last-mentioned means at the end of its movement, whereby the jaws function to first move the end portions of the clip from one side to the other side of the overlapped wires and then engage the extreme ends of the clip to complete the wrapping of the clip about the overlapped wires.

4. A tool for crimping a clip about overlapped ligatures comprising a frame assembly, a block movably supported by said frame assembly, a pair of crimping jaws pivotally mounted on said block and adapted to receive a clip therebenween, cam means defined by said frame assembly for determining the movement of said jaws, cam follower means connected to each of said crimping jaws and engaging the cam means, means for moving said crimping jaws in one direction to partially wrap a clip about said ligatures, and means on said frame engageable by said jaw moving means to move the jaws in another direction to completely wrap the clip about the overlapped ligatures.

5. A tool for crimping a clip about overlapping ligatures comprising a frame assembly including a pair of parallel side plates, a block mounted between said side plates and movably supported by one of said side plates, a pair of crimping jaws pivotally mounted on said block, each of said side plates defining a pair of identical but oppositely extending generally J-shaped cam slots, cam follower means secured to said crimping jaws and extending into said cam slots, means for moving said crimping jaws as determined by said slots, and fulcrum pins secured to said side plates and engaged by said last-mentioned means at the end of its movement to reverse the direction of movement of said jaws, whereby the jaws are first pivoted about said block to wrap each end of the clip from one side over to the other side and then retracted to complete the wrapping of the clip about the overlapping ligatures.

6. A tool for crimping a clip about overlapping wires comprising a pair of parallel side plates each of which defines a pair of identical but oppositely extending cam slots having an outwardly extending inclined section and a rearwardly extending horizontal section communicating with the outer end of said inclined section, a block slidably supported by one of said side plates, a pair of crimping jaws pivotally mounted on said block, cam follower means secured to said crimping jaws and extending into the cam slots for guiding the movement of said jaws, motion transmitting means secured to said crimping jaws to impart controlled movement to said jaws as determined by said cam slots, means secured to said side plates for engagement by said motion transmitting means when the follower means reaches the end of said inclined slot sections, whereby when the follower means are moved in said inclined sections the jaws are pivoted about said block to partially crimp the clip about the overlapped wires and upon further movement of said motion transmitting means the cam followers are moved rearwardly in the horizontal sections of said slots to effect movement of the jaws to complete the crimping of the clip about the overlapped wires.

7. A tool for crimping a clip about overlapped ligatures comprising power drive means, a pair of parallel plates defining cam slots, a block slidably supported by one of said side plates, a pair of crimping jaws pivotally mounted on said block, pin means connected to said crimping jaws and extending into said slots for controlling the crimping action of said jaws, means coupling the pin means to said power drive means including link means, and fulcrum means on said side plates and engageable by said links for moving said links in a direction opposite to the movement of said power drive means when the power drive means nears the end of its stroke, whereby the crimping jaws are pivoted toward each other to partially crimp the clip after which the link means engages the fulcrum means to retract the block to complete the wrapping of the clip about the overlapped ligatures.

8. A crimping tool comprising power drive means within a cylinder housing, crimping means connected to said power means, and control means for actuating said power means, said crimping means comprising a pair of parallel side plates secured to said cylinder housing and defining cam slots therein, a block reciprocably mounted between said side plates and a pair of crimping jaws pivotally mounted on said block, link pins affixed to the outer portion of said crimping jaws, links pivoted to said link pins and connecting said crimping jaws to said power means, said link pins extending at their ends into the cam slots in said parallel side plates, pin means secured to said side plates and adapted to be engaged by said links during the crimping operation, said slots being so formed that the crimping jaws are first pivoted toward each other to crimp each side of the clip about its opposite side and are then retracted to wrap completely the clip about the ligatures when said power means is actuated.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,878,417 Matveyefi Sept. 20, 1932 

1. A TOOL FOR CRIMPING A CLIP ABOUT OVERLAPPED WIRES COMPRISING A PAIR OF PARALLEL SIDE PLATES, A BLOCK SLIDABLY SUPPORTED BY ONE OF SAID SIDE PLATES, A PAIR OF CRIMPING JAWS PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON SAID BLOCK AND ADAPTED TO RECEIVE A CLIP THEREBETWEEN, EACH OF SAID PLATES DEFINING A PAIR OF IDENTICAL BUT OPPOSITELY EXTENDING CAM SLOTS, EACH HAVING AN OUTWARDLY EXTENDING LEG, AN INCLINED SECTION, AND A HORIZONTAL SECTION, PIN MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID CRIMPING JAWS AND ENGAGING SAID SLOTS FOR CONTROLLING THE CRIMPING ACTION OF SAID JAWS, LINK MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID PIN MEANS, ABUTMENT MEANS ON SAID PLATES ADJACENT SAID PIVOT BLOCK AND ENGAGEABLE BY SAID LINK MEANS, AND POWER DRIVE MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID LINKS FOR MOVING SAID PIN MEANS IN THE SECTIONS OF SAID CAM SLOTS TO MOVE, IN SE- 